Truth vs. Circumstances

One of my favorite phrases is that, "Truth and circumstances are not the same thing." You see, I've learned that circumstances are often very impressive. They can be overwhelming and often intimidating. They can be cunning and incredibly attractive. But rarely do circumstances represent the truth. So I have learned to look at the circumstances and ask myself, "What is really true here?"

The circumstances of my own life are indeed perplexing. I feel sometimes that I am locked in a losing proposition. My own character defects seem united to oppose and it feels as if they may actually defeat me. I become overwhelmed by myself. When I get into that situation, I can start to lose hope. I can begin to fear the future. All I see is doom. These are pretty impressive circumstances!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what ... always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." Wow! This is God's will for me? I have to do this --- or be this --- if I really belong to Christ Jesus? How on earth can anyone do this? Look at our circumstances. They are perplexing, disappointing, frustrating, onerous, intimidating, frightening and downright annoying sometimes. But IF ---- IF I belong to Christ Jesus, then God has a plan for how I'm supposed to respond to those circumstances.

"So God, you're saying that my joy, prayers and thankfulness should not fluctuate with my circumstances or feelings. Did I get that right?. You must understand Lord, that obeying these three commands --- always being joyful, keep on praying and being thankful --- go against the nature of who I seem to be sometimes. Oh? Okay, I hear you. So you're saying that if I'll make a conscious decision to do what God (that's you) says, I will begin to see my circumstances in a new perspective. Now let me guess; I'll just take a stab at it here. My so-called new perspective will neuter those circumstances. They'll begin to lose their power over me. Wow! That's really cool, God!"

So how do I obey this God of mine? It isn't possible to spend all my time on my knees. But it is possible to have a prayerful attitude at all times. How do I do that? Well, it seems to me that some criteria has to be met in my life before I can keep a prayerful attitude and really obey God on this. My attitude has to be built on these three things: (a) acknowledge my dependence on God --- owning my helplessness, (b) realize His presence within me --- really being conscious of it, and (c) determine to obey Him --- making that my top priority over all else.

It would seem that if I can accomplish these three criteria each day, then I will find it natural to pray frequent, spontaneous (and probably short) prayers throughout the day. And if that's the condition of my heart and mind, then even evil circumstances will not be able to rob me of my joy. I can still be thankful for God's presence and for the good that He will accomplish --- in me or in others --- through whatever distress I think I am in.

So you see, it is true that, "Truth and circumstances are the not the same thing." Intimidating as they may be, circumstances can't hold a candle to truth. The truth is always more comprehensive, more sensible, more stable, more enlightening and more in line with God's will. May God help me to focus on the truth about me today. This is God's will for me today.